One thread of the punk rock fabric I touched on was DIY – Do It Yourself. Looking back I don't know if those of us with an entrepreneurial spirit were attracted to punk rock or if punk rock necessitated an entrepreneurial spirit. Either way, if you wanted anything to happen, you had to do it yourself.
Read MoreMany people consider tragedy to be romantic. We idolize those who died young and tragically, such as: James Dean, Kurt Cobain, and John Lennon to name but a few. When you die young, you leave a small body of work to be judged and any indiscretions can be blamed on youth. Perhaps no musical genre benefits from this more than rock music and no subculture is more known for it than punk rock. And there are two reasons for that – Darby Crash and Sid Vicious.
Read MoreAt the end of the day, how we influence those around us isn’t by what take, but by what we make. It’s less by our words and more by our actions.
Read MoreBecause of advancements in technologies, the things we did, at least how we did them, will never happen again.
Read MoreThe point of all of this isn’t just to tell you what I’m up to, but to say to my fellow artists, don’t be afraid to throw yourself a curveball. I’ve gotten comfortable working alone, but am I reaching my potential as an artist being comfortable and alone?
Read MoreIt’s the difference between seeing an animal at the zoo, or in the wild. Yes, you can appreciate the majestic nature of a lion at the zoo. Especially if that’s your only opportunity to see it, but there’s nothing like being in the wild and experiencing a wonderful animal in it’s natural environment. You can forget the animal at the zoo, you will never forget the experience you had in the wild.
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Well, it’s that time again. I’ve never made resolutions, but the turning of the calendar is as good a reason as any to look back on the progress of the previous year and to reassess your goals for the coming year.
Read MoreWe only have so much bandwidth. Between my day job, music, my family, the house, cars, taking my kid to hockey, etc., I don’t have time to waste. 99% of my time is spent intentionally, and mostly, productive.
Read MoreThere are one or two characteristics I can most certainly attribute to growing up in Columbus, not least of which is my love of, and my appreciation of, what I call “functional art.”
Read MoreThere is definitely a connection to the past through things and places, but the greatest connection to the past is through the people who were there. Ken told me that he and Norman were closer than brothers and it showed through all the work Ken has done over the years to preserve Norman and Vi’s work and their history.
Read MoreNoodles is the typical “punk” these days. Pro-establishment. Pro-government. Pro-corporations.
Read More“I think that, a) you have an act, and that, b) not having an act is your act.” – Linda Powell (Singles)
Read MoreDylan is one of a kind. He’s an icon, and as such, everyone wants to make him their own and he keeps refusing to belong to anyone but himself.
Read MoreIt’s kind of hard to aim for what you think is the perfect career. You can’t control how many people respond to your music. You could be a nobody or you could be the Rolling Stones. You don’t get to decide.
Read MoreI’m not making any judgment calls about you, your kids, or whatever. What you decide to do is between you and your doctor. However, in our society, how many Bob Dylans, Picassos, Salingers, etc. are we stifling because they can’t sit still or focus very well? How many actually have a disorder and how many are creatives who are struggling to fit a system they’re not made to fit? I don’t know. I don’t have the answer, I just know it’s a question worth asking.
Read MoreAt this point, I’m so far into this thing that it almost feels like another lifetime ago. While I have no problem admitting I’m an alcoholic, the reality is, I just don’t drink. I often write things because I need to hear them, and then I put them out into the world in case anyone else needs to hear them. However, I’m not writing this for me, I’m just writing this in case you need to hear it.
Read MoreI have no issue with Oliver Anthony. Seems like an alright guy. It’s not his fault that all this is happening, he just performed his song and people ran with it. I hope he gets a good payday out of it, but he’s not Jason Aldean, he won’t be number one on Apple Music again this time next year. Again, I don’t blame him, I blame all of you for propping him up just to let him take the fall. Will you be downloading his next song? Will you buy a shirt? Go to a show? Or is he just the latest mascot?
Read MoreAs a general rule, I don’t like to mix entertainment and politics. This is mostly because the only preaching I like to hear is on Sunday mornings. There’s a place for preaching, but it’s not in art. Art is supposed to bring awareness and ask questions. It can’t answer those questions for you. You shouldn’t give a crap what an entertainer thinks of politics, one way or another.
Read MoreMany songwriters talk about inspiration as if it is this mystical thing and we’re just conduits from some other sphere for the song. I think that’s a bit new age for me, but while I don’t think it’s mystical, it is a bit mysterious.
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